honey, you are the sea
by great gospel
Summary: The flowers miss you. ; zerith drabbles
1. child

**Word Count** : 238

 **Timeline/Spoilers** : set vaguely during disc 1; no spoilers you don't already know about

 **Summary** : They would have had a bumbling, beautiful brood of children who would never know fear or heartache or lonesomeness. ; zerith drabbles

 **Notes** : This is similar to what I did with my 50 sentence fic for Psycho Pass. There were several prompts I wanted to expand on, so they turned into a separate collection of their own. The line this drabble is based on is at the end. (Check out my 50 sentence fic **pressing flowers**!)

Title comes from the song "Green Eyes" by Coldplay!

* * *

Contrary to popular opinion, dreams of death aren't what keep her up at night. Not that she doesn't have those on a regular basis. They simply pale in comparison to visions of a child with silky, brown tresses and bright, blue eyes. (He had grey eyes before, he confided in her once, but the shining, mako-infused irises were the only ones she'd ever known.) The past tears her apart, but it's the future that haunts her. A future without his beautiful laughter and a child just as much him as her wasn't a future she wanted to have.

They had been far too young at the time to truly start planning their lives together, but the sentiment had always been there. Zack was someone she wanted forever with. But she's twenty-two now, and hasn't laid eyes on him since she was seventeen. Some days, she can barely conjure up the image of him, and it terrifies her.

She's always wanted a big family. Her mother (both of them) did their best, but she won't deny having been a lonely child. She has so much love to give, and Zack met, perhaps even outmatched, her enthusiasm. They would have had a bumbling, beautiful brood of children who would never know fear or heartache or lonesomeness.

After saving the planet, she thinks she'll want to settle down, but she doesn't have it in her to think that far ahead anymore.

* * *

 **#23 – Child**

They'd been far too young at the time to entertain the thoughts of settling down and having a family together, but now, in his extended absence and as she's busy crossing continents, her mind is swimming with visions of a child with silky, brown tresses and bright, blue eyes that she knows can never see the light of day.

* * *

 **A/N** : Because Zack and Aerith would have had beautiful children, and they would have been the most loving parents.


	2. hide

**Word Count** : 368

 **Timeline/Spoilers** : set during disc 1; spoilers for cc ending

 **Summary** : Aerith would prefer to keep that between herself and the ghost of a boy who never came back. ; zerith drabbles

 **Notes** : Lines at the end are taken from in-game.

Thanks to _sunflowerspot_ for the review last chapter! :)

* * *

 _"We were never serious."_

 _"He always was a bit of a flirt, a real lady's man."_

 _"I'm sure he just found another pretty face and never looked back."_

 _._

Eighty-nine handwritten letters and a well-worn pink ribbon would beg to differ, but Aerith would prefer to keep that between herself and the ghost of a boy who never came back.

It hurts less to play the jilted lover than to face the truth. Mere months have passed _(two months, three weeks, eight days, and nineteen hours ago, but who's keeping count?)_ since that horrible vision had come to her and she felt the last vestiges of his spirit slip away. That had been the last time the Planet had spoken to her. Mainly because she isn't accepting any more messages.

She is far too preoccupied with living in a constant state of denial – of Zack's demise, of the strange abilities apparent since childhood. Traveling with Cloud, Tifa, and the others is like a clean slate, a fresh new page. She can paint any story she wants.

Once upon a time, there was a flower girl who met a soldier boy. He was sweet and charming, and she was gentle and kind. They enjoyed their time together, but nothing serious ever came of it. He left on a mission one day and never made his way back to see her again. They hadn't made any commitments or held any obligations to one another. But charismatic boys like him rarely stayed in one place, and wholesome girls like her hardly ever left home.

This is the tale of her first love. As far as the rest of the party is concerned, there is nothing to question, and Aerith plays the part all too well. Some days, she almost believes it herself. Because picturing him in the arms of a beautiful blonde, splayed across the beaches of Costa del Sol will always surpass the image of his lifeless body, bloody and battered in the rain.

Seeing him _alive_ , no matter what capacity, will always win out.

.

 _"Please don't cry."_

 _"Someone dear to you has just died."_

 _"His spirit was coming to see you, but he already returned to the planet."_

* * *

 **#27 – Hide**

It hurts less to pretend she doesn't know, to act as if she didn't feel the exact moment his life force faded away, and to play the jilted lover instead; anything is easier than facing the truth of his demise.

* * *

 **A/N** : I love writing bitter!Aerith for some reason. Please let me know what you thought!


	3. precious

**Word Count** : 522

 **Timeline/Spoilers** : set during cc, probably during the timeskip; no spoilers

 **Summary** : His cheeks flare red and she's giggling with such abandon that he has half a mind to take offense. ; zerith drabbles

 **Notes** : This is probably the squishiest, fluffiest thing I have ever written and ever will write. But I promised myself I would whip up some happy zerith at some point, so here we are.

Big thank you to _sunflowerspot_ and _fairygloss_ for their reviews! Hope you guys like the fluff.

* * *

Zack is rather well-known around Shinra Headquarters for his infinitely cheery personality (some would even say infamous for it), but around Aerith, he exceeds this somehow and is positively giddy. It goes without saying that, as a couple, they tread along the border of almost sickly sweet. So of course the picnic in the park date is a cliché they simply have to live out.

He shows up at the church with a checkered blanket and basket in tow one day and sneaks up behind her. Covering her eyes with his hands, he makes his voice ridiculously deep and gravely, before coughing out, "Guess who." He's slightly put off when she collapses into giggles instead of playing along. He thought his impression had been rather good.

When she recovers from her laughing fit, she ponders aloud, "What was the supposed to be?"

He puts on his equally famous puppy pout and says, "I was being Tseng, of course!"

They almost don't end up leaving the church as she collapses in another long bout of laughter, but eventually, they make their way to a park just on the outskirts of the sector. The grass is dry and yellowed, and the old oak tree looks like it hasn't seen water in decades, but they are determined to make a romantic afternoon out of it. After a gratifying meal of peanut butter sandwiches and an assortment of cakes swiped from the Shinra break room, Zack finds himself almost dozing off with is back against the ancient oak. He hears Aerith tinkering about with something just to the side of him, and it brings an easy grin to his relaxed features.

He feels a feather light touch atop his head and peaks open one eye lid.

"What do we have here?"

She merely smiles that angelic smile and radiates such an affectionate aura that he can't help but turn around swiftly to engulf her in a warm bear hug. She lets out a squeal at his surprise attack, and something falls from his head with the movement. He realizes that she had twined him a flower crown with some blossoms sneakily brought over from the church. She's so adorable he doesn't know what to do with himself sometimes.

So who can blame him when those three little words just happen to slip out in betwixt his hearty laughter? It catches even him off guard. Not that the sentiment is insincere; it's just always just felt so innate that hearing the thought voiced aloud is something of a shock. His cheeks flare red and she's giggling with such abandon that he has half a mind to take offense. When she finally catches her breath, the laughter is still alive in her eyes, but her voice is like sweet molasses when she tells him, "Well, it's a good thing I love you too, or this would be kind of awkward, wouldn't it?"

He can't control the undignified snigger that slips past his own lips. But he hardly thinks it matters when she's planted in his lap with her hands grasping his cheeks, planting playful kisses across his face.

* * *

 **#48 – Precious**

The first time is almost like an accident; she pops up behind him and deposits a dainty flower crown on his head, grin stretched so wide her cheeks are beginning to hurt, but then he turns around and envelopes her in his strong arms and laughs out an "I love you"; and it's the most beautiful sound she's ever heard.

* * *

 **A/N** : I'm sorry if I gave you cavities. I need to go brush my teeth now. Please review!


	4. wait

**Word Count** : 645

 **Timeline/Spoilers** : no timeline; no real spoilers

 **Summary** : There are no tangible forms here in the Lifestream. ; zerith drabbles

 **Notes** : Not terribly fond of this one, but here we go.

Another big thank you to _sunflowerspot_ and my guest reviewer! Glad you liked the happy!zerith. Now, back to our regularly scheduled angst.

* * *

Those four years passed him by in the blink of an eye. He went from tumbling down the stairs after his defeat at the hands of Sephiroth, to crashing out of a glass tube, drenched in Mako. The years spent as a test subject come back to him in painful, shattered glimpses as he traverses the globe with Cloud at his side.

At first, he doesn't even realize how long it's been. It doesn't cross his mind that much time has passed at all – days, maybe weeks, but never _years_.

Of course, the date on the newspaper soon crushes that faint hope. His mind immediately drifts to the flower girl, and his heartfelt promise by the water tower, to come see her as soon as this mission was cleared. The objective was hardly what he would call completed, and where he stood with Shinra was questionable at best, but he had broken his promise to Aerith all the same.

Aerith, for whom the past four years had passed at an agonizingly slow pace. Each day, hope dwindled, though she continued penning her letters faithfully. Eighty-nine of them. Almost twice a month for forty-eight months if he was doing his math right. He could never make it up to her, but he would try his damned hardest. If she would have him.

And so it takes nearly another year for him to reach Midgar, cognizant of the huge risks and imminent threat of attempting to walk straight into the lion's den. But it's almost not even a conscious decision. He has to see her. He has to.

But fate has other plans for him. Plans that include dying literally almost at her doorstep after five long years of separation. Only now, from the Lifestream does he see how _she_ kept _her_ promise to wear pink for him. The colour suits her, and it pains him to know that he'll never get to see her wear it in person.

Crueler still, it is mere months later that he finds himself in her company once more. It took hundreds of bullet holes and a single, swift stab wound to arrange this meeting, and he wishes to the gods that it weren't so. No matter how desperately he ached for her company, it was never meant to be like this.

He almost wishes they had never met but wonders what good it would do. He still would have dueled Sephiroth, and Cloud and he would still have ended up science experiments. He wouldn't have been so desperate to return to Midgar, but Shinra would have tracked him down eventually, ruthless as they were. Maybe she wouldn't have gone above the plate with a flower basket in tow and run into a supposed ex-SOLDIER, but he has a feeling that she would have wormed her way into saving the world at some point. Whether she still would have died at the hand of a mass murderer he once called friend was open to debate.

Gods know he wouldn't trade his own wretched fate for the few, short years of bliss spent with a flower girl and her church. She was well worth it. But he would trade hers. If it meant saving her, he would give up every evening spent wandering the sector selling flowers, every afternoon spent tinkering with tools and wagons, and every morning spent in a warm embrace. He'd give it up, he would, to alter her story. But it's far too late to change course now, and the gods aren't listening – they never were.

So he supposes he'll have to settle for the soft caress of her soul across his (there are no tangible forms here in the Lifestream) and the warm feeling he knows is from her sweet smile. It's not fair and it's not enough, but it's all they have.

And so it goes.

* * *

 **#12 – Wait**

He finds it nothing short of cruel that she waited years upon years for his return, but all it took was mere months for her to join him in the Lifestream.

* * *

 **A/N** : Please review!


	5. stop

**Word Count** : 508

 **Timeline/Spoilers** : set during cc, technically during the second time skip; no spoilers

 **Summary** : The flowers miss you. ; zerith drabbles

 **Notes** : The last letter is taken directly from in-game.

A little late, but here you go!

* * *

Dear Zack,

It's been six months since we last saw each other. It must be a very tough mission they've sent you on. Tseng is as tight-lipped as ever (you know how he is), but he promises he's sending my letters to you. You're probably not allowed to write back or even make a phone call, but I wish I could hear from you. I know you're on some big, tough SOLDIER assignment, though. Promise you'll tell me all about it when you get back? Please be careful.

Yours,

Aerith

.

Hello Love,

It's been a while. I've lost track of the days. I've been spending most of my time at the church. Sometimes mom has to come at the end of the day to remind me to come home. I hate worrying her, so I'm trying to be more careful. I haven't been out to sell flowers in a while. It's...different doing it by myself, but the wagon is gathering dust, so I'll have to go out soon. Some of the kids have been asking about you, and I'm not sure what to tell them. Maybe if I hadn't complained so much about those wagons you built me, you'd be home by now.

The flowers miss you.

.

Zack,

I don't know what to say anymore. Crazy, right? Bet you never thought you'd see the day where I ran out of things to talk about. Neither did I. But it's hard keeping up a one-sided conversation. Write me when you can.

With Love,

Aerith

.

Please come home soon.

Always,

Aerith

.

Hello,

It's been a few weeks, so I figured I may as well write you again. I've included a couple of flowers with this letter. I hope you like them.

.

Dearest Zack,

I don't know if this will reach you. I don't know if you've gotten any of my letters so far. But, I've got to try. Tseng has always had a great poker face (trust me, I've lost more than a few hands to him), but lately, he just seems sad. Nothing's changed, but I can just see it in his eyes. I'm really worried about you. Please, send me some sort of sign.

All my love,

Aerith

.

Zack,

I hope I'm not bothering you. It's been so long. I don't want to sound like I'm blaming you, I just wish I'd gotten some word back from you. Tseng's even stopped coming around. I don't know what that means. I hope you're doing well, wherever you are. I think…my next letter might be my last.

.

How are you? I wish I knew where you were. It's already been four years now. This is the 89th letter that I've sent to you, but I don't even know where to send them anymore. I really hope that this final letter that I am writing gets to you. By the way, the flowers are selling very well. They make everyone so happy. Thanks to you, Zack.

Aerith

.

 _"Aerith, wait for me... "_

* * *

 **#36 – Stop**

By letter 13, her momentum is slackening; letter 34, hope is waning; letter 67 feels futile, only pure stubbornness pushing her on; with letter 81, a new desperation sets in, but letter 89, she knows, will be the final.

* * *

 **A/N** : Finally tried my hand at writing some of Aerith's letters. I kind of wanted to write more, but I felt like they were getting repetitive. Let me know what you think! This is the last drabble I have pre-written, so it might be a while until the next update. Much thanks to those of you who have stuck around until now!


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